Holm Auto Good News: Fe for a Cure races to support cancer patients

By Charles Rankin, The Salina Journal

Thursday

Sep 19, 2019 at 6:00 PM

Saturday's sixth annual Fe for a Cure event is a way for the community to benefit patients of the Tammy Walker Cancer Center, rally support for those patients and cancer survivors and honor those who have died from the disease.

The annual event is highlighted by a 5K race/walk down Santa Fe Avenue in Salina. Because of the closure of St. John's Military Academy and construction on Santa Fe, the route for the race has changed this year.

Tom Martin, executive director for Salina Regional Health Foundation, said the race will start and end at Kansas Wesleyan University, with racers going north from the school, turning in front of First Bank downtown, then returning south to the campus.

"They'll go by the cancer center both ways," Martin said. "The Kansas Wesleyan jazz band will be playing out in front of Tammy Walker Cancer Center to liven things up."

Participants can register online before Saturday or at the center from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. Additionally, anyone can register the morning of the race. Registration begins at 7 a.m. Saturday at KWU. Martin said organizers are expecting 700 to 800 participants and recommended those registering on race day to get there early as a line is expected.

The fee to enter the 5K is $25 for ages 12 and up and $10 for ages 11 and younger. All entrants will receive a T-shirt. The entire entry fee will support cancer patients. As entry is open until the day of the race, Martin wasn't sure how much money would be raised this year, but said in previous years the entry fees alone raised about $18,000 to $20,000.

Martin said the money raised will be used by the foundation to assist the cancer center in a variety of ways. It has in the past used funds to purchase everything from blanket warmers, wheelchairs, ice machines and daily snacks for chemotherapy and radiation patients to providing free transportation for patients to and from appointments.

The foundation also uses $30,000 a year to pay for membership into the Midwest Cancer Alliance, a network of health care providers organized by the University of Kansas Cancer Center.

"In exchange for (the fee) our patients get access to clinical trials, new protocols and those sort of things," Martin said.

One of those survivors participating in the race is Jody Ryan.

Ryan is a real estate agent in Salina and a survivor of breast cancer who has been in remission for five years.

She said her time at the center consisted of six weeks of 8:30 a.m. daily appointments for radiation treatment. Ryan said she was fortunate she lived in Salina at the time. Because she was so close she didn't have to use all the services that race funds go toward, but she saw the need for them in the fellow patients she encountered and befriended.

"You get to meet some of the people that travel from Concordia, from Junction City, even up by the Nebraska border," Ryan said. "They travel there every day. There's days that I don't know how some of these people got home."

The foundation also owns and operates the Morrison House, where patients can spend a night free of charge.

"Most often it's radiation patients receiving treatment who might be from an outlying community like Russell," Martin said.

Ryan said the Fe for a Cure is really a family event for her.

"My grandkids will be there," Ryan said. "My daughters and their husbands and my husband will be there. I'm pretty lucky that I have such a cheer-leading squad and support."

Ryan said she hopes everyone will come to take part in the event whether they're a survivor or not.

"Everybody has been touched by cancer," Ryan said. "Everyone in their family can think of somebody that has been touched by it. This is one event that everybody should embrace and support it."

There will also be events after the race on the KWU campus and organizers are hoping people will stay. Live music will be performed by The Blades and there will be pancakes provided by Chris Cakes out of Wichita. Awards for the race will also be announced at that time, with the top three in 16 different age groups receiving awards. There will also be awards for businesses that participate in the race.

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